


Operation Labrador

by jackabelle73



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Rumbelle Christmas in July 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-30
Updated: 2016-07-30
Packaged: 2018-07-28 06:13:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7628170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jackabelle73/pseuds/jackabelle73
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for ChrissyKP as part of the Rumbelle Christmas in July 2016 gift exchange. She prompted "floof family fluff involving animals," and this is how I answered it. Enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Operation Labrador

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ChrissyKP](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChrissyKP/gifts).



> Due to the request for fluff, I chose to ignore certain canon plotlines that resulted in sorrow or conflict for our characters. Also, certain characters don’t exist in this fic. Just think of it as another realm, where things are much simpler and happier for the residents of Storybrooke.

As soon as she opened the door to Granny’s, she had to smile. This was much better. Being here, in the emotional heart of Storybrooke, where she could talk to people and eat good food…and wait for her husband, who she needed to contact.

Belle took a seat at the counter as she pulled out her phone, sending a text to Rumple. Already at Granny’s, she typed, then smiled brightly at Ruby as she came over.

“Hi, Belle. The usual?”

“Actually, I’ll wait till Rumple gets here to order. I just sent him a text, so he’ll be here any moment. Probably agitated, so if you want to hide in the kitchen, now’s your chance.”

“What’s he got to be riled up about?” Granny asked, as she topped up Leroy’s coffee cup.

“Well, I did leave home by myself, and walk all the way into town,” Belle smirked. “And in my delicate condition, a radical act like that could have disastrous consequences.” She smoothed a hand over her protruding belly.

“Sister, I’m a big fan of yours, but that man of yours is scary enough on a good day. And if he thinks his baby is in danger…let’s just say, I’m gonna make myself scarce.” Leroy shoved his last bite of sandwich in and held up his coffee, saying with a full mouth, “Can I get a to-go cup?”

Granny eyed him with disdain. “You’re really running away?”

“Dealing with Gold won’t do any favors for my digestion, Granny.”

She snorted but moved to the end of the counter to get a paper cup, Leroy following close behind.

Belle shook her head in amusement, catching Ruby’s eye. “Are you going to run too?” 

“I’m going to stay and watch the show. I’m not the one that’s going to be in trouble when Gold gets here, you are.”

“Oh, he won’t really be upset with me.”

“Honey, I’ve never seen a man more protective of anyone or anything, than he has been with you since you started showing. He’s gonna–” She stopped as a haze of purple smoke appeared near the door, which opened behind him. The customer who stood on the threshold, frozen in the act of coming in, recovered their senses long enough to slam the door and retreat.

“Belle!” Rumplestiltskin rushed over to her. Out of the corner of her eye, Belle saw Leroy tip-toeing away with his coffee. He really wasn’t very good at tip-toeing. In front of her, Ruby crossed her arms and leaned back against the drink machine, quirking a brow at Belle. “Are you all right?”

“Of course I am,” Belle said calmly, spinning on her stool to face him. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Why didn’t you wait for me at home? I said I’d come get you for lunch. How’d you get to town?”

“I walked.”

“All that way? Is the baby….” He put a hand on her stomach and she knew he was using magic to check on its occupant. She allowed it, but rolled her eyes.

“The baby’s fine, Rumple. And I’m fine. I just needed to get out of the house, that’s all.”

“I just want you both to be safe.” He placed the fingertips of his other hand on her cheek, lightly stroking. It was unusual for him to show physical affection in public, which told her how concerned he was. So she spoke softly, trying to be patient.

“We are safe, Rumple. I promise. So unless you plan to poof us back to the house, and cast a spell to keep me there…” She let it sound like a challenge.

He sighed, letting his hands drop. “Of course not, Belle. I’d never do that to you.”

“No, you wouldn’t. So let’s go sit in a booth and we can order.”

He offered his hands for her to brace against as she slid down from the bar stool, minimizing the already negligible drop to the floor. But the barely-there thump was enough to jolt her bladder, prompting her to tell her husband, “Can you get us a booth and order for me, please? The usual. I need the bathroom…again.”

“I’ll walk you,” he offered.

“Rumple,” she said with a hint of warning. “I walked all the way to town by myself, I think I can make it to the bathroom. Order for me please, because your baby is hungry.”

He acquiesced, though when she glanced back from the hallway she saw him watching her. Shaking her head, half in exasperation and half in fondness, she continued on to the bathroom and came back in time to see Ruby setting two ice teas on their table.

“Ruby—I meant to ask you, how’s it going at the animal shelter?” Her friend had recently started volunteering there, after taking in a stray dog she’d found and seeing how short-staffed the shelter was.

“It’s great. I feel like I’m doing good there, y’know? And the manager says that no one else can make the dogs behave like I do. I think they look at me as their alpha, even in human form.”

Belle saw Rumple quirk a brow at that, though he said nothing. He usually stayed quiet during her conversations with friends, knowing that most of them held no love for him. But he was clearly listening and Ruby’s last comment had caught his interest.

“So you think they can sense the wolf in you?” he asked.

Their waitress shrugged. “They’re responding to something.”

“Have you ever changed to your wolf form around them?”

“Just once so far. Someone brought in a feral dog, and it got loose while they were trying to transfer it into the dog run. It was totally freaked out, no one could get near it because it was snarling and growling at everyone. They were about to use the tranquilizer gun when I tried transforming. All I had to do was growl once and the dog was completely docile, followed me into the run without a whimper. I stayed with him a while, till he calmed down.”

“That’s amazing, Ruby. It’s lucky you were there. That was a much better option than being tranquilized. Poor thing.”

“Ruby! Order for the Golds!” Granny’s authoritative voice rang out from the kitchen window.

“That was fast,” Rumple said. It was rare for him to look impressed.

“Granny put in the order as soon as Belle came in,” Ruby smiled, and walked away to get their plates.

“Hmm…she never did that for me, before you came along.”

“Well, it helps to be nice to people, Rumplestiltskin.” She said it pointedly, but without any heat behind it. She was teasing, sort of. She knew that he cared little about the opinion of the townspeople. He cared little about anyone’s opinion, aside from hers, Bae’s, and perhaps Henry’s.

Her mouth started to water as soon as the plates were in front of them, and the baby gave an enthusiastic kick.

“Calm down, little one,” she said to her stomach, one hand stroking the curve while the other reached for a fry. At Rumple’s sharp look, she explained, “I think our baby is as impatient for food as I am.” She took her first bite and sighed as her body got the message that food was on the way. “I swear, I feel like I eat constantly. I dream about eating. That’s never happened to me before.”

“It’s for the baby, Belle,” he reminded her.

“I know, but…” She shook her head. “How much nourishment can one little fetus need? You heard what Dr. Whale said, at my last appointment. It’s this big, Rumple!” She held her hands apart. “Or maybe you didn’t hear that part, since you were too busy glaring at him.”

He shrugged unapologetically. “Just making sure he knew that the examination didn’t entitle him to take any extra…liberties…with your person.” He took an emphatic bite of the pickle spear, giving her a predatory grin after he swallowed.

“Well, you do know,” she lowered her voice and leaned across the table as best she could, “that in order to deliver our baby, he’ll need to touch me. He won’t be much of a doctor if you render him unconscious just for looking between my legs.”

At that, his expression grew stormy and his hand tightened on the glass holding his iced tea. “He stayed down there a little longer than medicine required, Belle.”

“Rumple…I mean it. Start getting used to the idea that Dr. Whale has to touch me to treat me. You can’t attack him, understand?” She laid a hand over his clenched fist, stroking.

He opened the hand with a visible effort, nodding toward her plate. “Your burger will get cold, Belle. You said you were hungry.”

“Rumple…you’ll work on that?” She wasn’t going to let him distract her, not till she got the answer she wanted.

“Yes. I’ll try, Belle.”

“Good.” She gave his hand one last squeeze before turning her attention back to her lunch. “So tell me what’s happening at the shop, since I’ve been at home. Anyone interesting come in this morning?”

They were almost finished with their meal and she was smiling at his story about Grace visiting his shop with her father to find a gift for the family who’d cared for her during the first curse. Apparently she’d stayed in contact with them, with her father’s blessing.

“So they’ve been in there for over an hour, and Grace has touched, picked up, or asked about nearly everything in the shop, and Jefferson just stands there smiling the whole time, tells her to take her time. I’d never have thought him capable of that much patience, during the curse. He was always a bit unhinged, mentally. Now…he looks like the happiest man on the planet.”

“He got his daughter back,” Belle reminded him. “Sounds like that was all he wanted, all twenty-eight years of the curse. You know what that’s like, Rumple.” She smiled at the mental image of the father and daughter, reunited for years now and happy together. Just like Rumple had been reunited with Bae.

The door opened and Dr. Hopper came rushing in, closing it behind him to prevent Pongo from following. The Dalmatian barked indignantly from outside, but Archie paid him no mind, instead seeking out Ruby at the bar. After a hushed conversation, Ruby took off her apron and followed Archie outside.

“Wonder what’s going on there?” Belle asked. “Should we go see? After all, it’s been weeks since this town faced annihilation. If there’s a threat coming, I want to know about it.”

“If there were a real threat, I doubt Dr. Hopper and Ruby Lucas would be the ideal people to deal with it. I wouldn’t worry, Belle.”

“Maybe we should go check anyway–” She started to slide out of the booth, but stopped when he sighed, setting down his napkin and getting up himself.

“If I go find out what’s happening, will you stay here and rest?” he asked. “I don’t want you exerting yourself, just to chase down the latest town gossip. I promise I’ll report back to you.”

She acquiesced, reluctantly. She really did want to know what was going on, because she’d spent a lot of time at home lately and was feeling a bit isolated. But truth be told, the walk into town earlier had tired her more than she liked to admit. She wouldn’t tell him that, and give him more reason to be over-protective, but she knew moderation was called for. She needed to take care of her baby.

She slid back into the booth, and picked at the few fries remaining on her plate, but let Granny clear their table when she came by. She was sleepy now that the ever-present ache of hunger had been satisfied for the moment, and decided to stretch her legs out on the seat cushion and lean her head back against the wall so she could rest while she waited.

“Belle. How are you feeling?”

She opened her eyes—she hadn’t realized that she ever closed them—and focused on Robin standing in front of her, Roland by his side.

“Oh. I’m fine, thanks for asking. Just hungry all the time…and tired. Can’t wait for this little one to make an appearance.” She looked down at her belly, rubbing a hand over it, and glanced up again to see Roland staring at the protruding mound.

“Is there really a baby in there?” he asked.

“Mm-hmm.”

“But how did it get in there?” His eyes widened comically. “And how does it get out?”

“Ahh…that, Roland, is a question that only your papa can answer.”

The small boy looked up at his father. “Papa?”

“Ahh, well…” Robin had a distinct deer-in-the-headlights look, and Belle fought to suppress laughter. “Why don’t we go get a booth and wait for Regina, and we’ll talk about it.” He gave his son a gentle push toward the corner booth and leaned over to whisper to her. “Thank you so much for that. Really.”

She couldn’t hold it in anymore, and had to laugh. With a final glare, Robin started to walk away, but turned back after a few steps.

“One day, when that child of yours is old enough to ask the uncomfortable questions, there will be payback.”

“I look forward to it,” she replied, still chuckling.

Robin slid into a booth next to his son, who immediately started interrogating him.

“But Papa, how does the baby–”

The rest of his question was drowned out by the door opening again, bringing a gust of wind inside along with Regina, Emma, Neal, and Henry, who all seemed to be engaged in a heated discussion.

“He’s not of legal driving age, Neal. I’m the mayor, you know I can’t condone this.”

“But I am old enough for a permit!” Henry protested. “Or I would be, in the Land Without Magic. It’s not my fault that you didn’t include Driver’s Ed classes in the curse!”

“Technically, the current curse was cast by Snow White, so you can blame your grandmother.”

“Mom…” Henry threw up his hands and walked away to sit at the counter. Granny placed a cup of hot cocoa in front of him with a bemused expression, no doubt entertained by seeing someone else muddling through their teenager’s moods.

“Regina, he does have a point,” Emma said. “In the outside world, kids his age are taking classes and learning to drive with their parents’ supervision.”

“But we’re not–”

“We might be, someday. We’ve left Storybrooke plenty of times, for all kinds of reasons. Don’t you want Henry prepared for the outside world?”

“I second that motion,” Neal added. “Henry belongs to both worlds, he needs to be prepared for both. He’s learning sword-fighting and horseback riding, why not driving?”

“Well, clearly I’m outnumbered.” Regina crossed her arms, glaring at Emma and Neal. “I can’t say I’m always a fan of this co-parenting deal.”

“Really?” Henry spun on his stool. “You’ll let me learn to drive?”

“Yes, as long as you have one of the three of us with you in the car. No one else, especially not the Charmings.” Henry punched the air in triumph. Regina pointed at Neal. “Do not take him driving on Main Street. Take him out to that open field by the woods, where there are no mailboxes.”

“Mailboxes?” Neal asked, confused.

“I’ll explain later,” Emma muttered.

“And you’re not using my car, young man.” Regina turned to Henry next. “Your other mother is so enthusiastic about this, let her risk her car.” Regina smirked at Emma as she walked away to join Robin and Roland in their booth, clearly considering her part in the conversation to be over. Emma followed her, leaning over to continue speaking to her, too quietly for Belle to hear.

“But…the Bug is a stick shift!” Henry protested faintly from the counter.

“Don’t worry, pal.” Neal slung an arm around his son’s shoulders, urging him off the stool and over to the booth next to Belle. “Learning a stick isn’t that hard, I’ll teach you. And after that, an automatic will be a piece of cake.”

Henry slid into the booth, still looking like the wind had been taken from his sails, while Neal stopped to speak to Belle.

“Hey, Belle. Still hanging in there?” he asked.

“Mm-hmm. Not much else for me to do these days.”

“Where’s my dad?”

“Just went out to find out the cause of some commotion. He should be back any moment.”

He nodded. “Let us know if you need anything, okay?”

“Yeah, definitely,” Emma agreed, coming over to join them. “Though I imagine you’re already being cared for a lot better than I was during my pregnancy. We’ve all seen how he dotes on you. Wish I’d had that.”

“Mom…do you have to remind everyone that I was born in jail?” Henry protested.

“I didn’t say it, kid. You did.” With a smile for Belle, Emma joined her son in the booth and picked up a menu. Neal frowned at the back of her head, and Belle knew he still regretted the ten years he’d missed of Emma’s and Henry’s lives. He turned back to her.

“I know my dad’s coddling you, I’ve seen how he is…but if you need something else, you let me know, hmm? That’s my little brother or sister you’re carrying in there, gotta do my part.”

“Don’t worry…I’m taking good care of the little one.” Belle smiled as she smoothed her hands over her rounded stomach. Neal had really been very sweet, during her entire pregnancy. He always asked how she was feeling, had come by to visit her at home when she’d been put on bed rest, and had interceded on her behalf when Rumple got a little too overzealous with the protective expectant father routine.

Neal joined his family and Henry immediately asked how soon he could get his first driving lesson in the Bug, prompting another discussion about the best time and place for it.

Belle leaned her head back against the wall again, and yawned as she idly looked around the diner. It was nice, being here with many of the people she considered family and friends. So much better than staying at the house by herself. She should start coming to Granny’s for lunch every day. If she could summon up the energy for it…she was always so tired these days.

It seemed she had just closed her eyes when a gentle shaking of her shoulder made her stir, and she could tell from Rumple’s bemused expression that it had been much longer than it felt like. He handed her a napkin and pointed wordlessly to his own mouth, his smile widening. She wiped hastily, her embarrassment increasing when she realized she’d been drooling in her sleep. She hoped to the gods she hadn’t been snoring as well, though the look on a few people’s faces as Belle scanned the diner suggested that it was a very real possibility. Granny was wiping the table next to them, grinning to herself.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep!” She sat up, trying to smooth down her hair, and held out a hand for Rumple to help her out of the booth. “Granny, I hope I didn’t disturb any of your customers.”

Belle could see Rumple getting ready to interject, probably some comment that anyone who had a problem with his very-pregnant wife falling asleep in public could take it up with him, but she stopped him with a look.

“Don’t you worry about it, honey. Pregnant ladies in their third trimester get an automatic pass,” Granny assured her, and walked away, still looking like she was trying not to laugh. Neal and Emma were studiously focused on their food, pointedly not looking at her, while Henry had no such reservations and grinned openly at her over his drink.

“What did you find out?” she asked her husband, remembering that he’d followed Ruby and Archie to find out what was going on.

“Just a stray dog, Belle,” he answered as the door behind them opened and Ruby and Archie came in. “Not a threat to the town, nothing to worry about.”

Well, that explained why Archie had sought out Ruby to help. Her job at the diner meant that she saw pretty much everyone sooner or later, and it had become common for residents to mention to her over their menus that they’d spotted a stray animal that needed to be picked up. It would make more sense for them to call the shelter directly, but somehow Ruby had become the go-to representative of the shelter since she’d started volunteering there.

“Speak for yourself, Gold. I’m going to worry, until we find her.” Ruby went behind the counter to wash her hands.

“We should get you home, sweetheart, so you can rest.” Rumple nudged her toward the door, but Belle went over to the counter instead, speaking to Archie who’d settled on a stool. Rumple sighed and went to speak to his son.

“What kind of dog was it?” she asked.

“A black Labrador,” he answered, nodding thanks as Ruby set a glass of water in front of him. “A very pregnant one.” He drank thirstily. “She was scavenging at the dumpster when Pongo barked at her and she ran off.”

Ruby was guzzling from her own glass. “Archie said she was really skinny, like she hadn’t been getting enough to eat.”

“Except for her stomach, which was huge. She looks like she’s ready to give birth any moment.”

“Oh…poor thing,” Belle breathed, looking down at where her own baby was housed. She had a soft bed in a climate-controlled house to sleep in, and enough food to satisfy even her large appetite. “You couldn’t find her?”

Ruby shook her head. “Archie said she was headed toward the woods. I tried tracking her, but we’re the furthest from the full moon that we get in the lunar cycle, which means my sense of smell is only slightly better than a human’s. I lost her trail when she crossed a stream, and couldn’t pick it up again.”

“Can’t you help, Rumple?” Belle appealed to him. “I hate the thought of a pregnant dog out there, fending for herself.” He turned back to her, quirking a brow.

“How do you propose I do that, Belle? A tracking spell? Do you have anything that belongs to the dog?”

She shook her head. “Of course not.”

“Don’t worry, Belle. I’m going to talk to Robin before he leaves, and call Snow too, see if either of them can track her from the place I lost her scent. They’re better at the visual tracking than I am. I guess I rely too much on my nose.”

“Will you call me if you find her?” Belle asked. “I’ll just feel better if I know she’s at the shelter being taken care of.”

“Of course.”

“Now can we get you home?” Rumple asked, returning to her side.

“Actually, no.” She aimed a smile at him, though it wouldn’t prevent his protest. “I think I’d like to spend the rest of the afternoon with you at the shop.”

“Belle…” He heaved a long-suffering sigh. It wasn’t the first time they’d had this discussion in the past week. Dr. Whale had ordered partial bed rest, two weeks ago, which he’d released her from after only a few days. He said she could go back to normal daily activities as long as she used common sense and didn’t over-exert herself. But her over-protective husband seemed to want her to stay on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy. “I think you should go home for a nap.”

“I already had a nap. Just ask them!” She flung out a hand to indicate the rest of the diner patrons. “I have witnesses!”

“I can attest to it,” Regina commented, putting on her coat by the door. Robin was beside her, reaching for Roland’s coat, and over at Neal’s table, they were getting up as well.

“Indeed. Roland asked if the baby was trying to claw its way out while she slept. I believe he was rather frightened by the noises she was making.”

“Robin? Can I speak to you for a moment?” Ruby had come around the counter to talk to the former thief, but Belle paid their conversation little mind, intent on pressing her point with her husband.

“See? I slept through my own snoring!” Belle pointed out, though she was mortified to hear confirmation that her nap had been exactly as undignified as she’d feared. “I’m coming to the shop with you. I’ve spent enough time at home by myself, doing nothing but sleep, eat, and watch my stomach get bigger.”

“I believe you’re going to lose this battle, Papa.” Neal clapped him on the shoulder.

“Fine,” Rumplestiltskin relented. “But if you get too tired–”

“I’ll say so and lie down in the back room,” she promised, happy that he agreed so easily.

They passed a pleasant afternoon together in the shop, cataloging some of the many items that crowded the shelves and display cases. The task of inventory seemed to be never-ending, and Belle had wondered more than once if the shop’s stock changed daily, due to magical influences beyond her comprehension. He’d denied it, but she still wondered.

At one point she wandered across the street to the library to check on things there. She’d stopped working there herself when put on bed rest, but arranged for a few volunteers to cover several shifts per week. She hated the idea of the library being closed till she was done with maternity leave.

She found Ashley behind the circulation desk, bouncing her daughter on her lap and reading The Gruffalo’s Child to her.

“The first one is better,” Belle commented.

Ashley looked up, prying the book from Alexandra’s chubby hands before she could start eating the pages. “Oh, I agree. But we’ve read that one approximately 2, 498 times by now, so I decided it was time for the sequel.”

“I thought Snow was volunteering today?”

“She was. But Alexandra and I came in looking for books, and while she was pulling down every book in the toddler section, Ruby came in. She asked for Snow’s help tracking a dog? So I said we’d stick around for the last hour of Snow’s shift. We needed to clean up the mess we’d made, anyway.” She pressed a kiss to her daughter’s blonde hair.

They chatted for a while, and Belle left feeling reassured that the library was still operational in her absence. By the time she got back to the shop, she was feeling tired after all, and laid down for what she swore would be ‘only a few minutes’.

She woke slowly and stifled a yawn as her eyes cracked open and she realized that it was getting dark outside. The remnants of a dream pulled at her foggy brain, trying to demand attention as it faded at the same time. All she remembered was her mother’s voice, telling her a story, she thought. She’d been dreaming about her mother a lot lately.

She heard a familiar creaking noise and sat up slowly, looking toward the corner where the spinning wheel always stood.

Rumplestiltskin sat at his wheel, back to her, patiently turning it one spoke at a time, letting the cotton feed from his other hand. She gave herself a moment to watch, catching him in that rare moment of quiet contemplation. Spinning brought out a calmness in him, that almost nothing else did. She supposed it was one of the few constants in his long and tumultuous life, something he came back to again and again to comfort him and help him focus. She hoped that she was a source of comfort as well, but knew that her presence only filled a fraction of time in his centuries-long lifespan. There were times she was almost jealous of his spinning wheel, though she knew that was ridiculous.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked, without turning around. She should have known that he knew she was awake, though she’d made almost no noise. Very little caught him by surprise.

“Wondering what you’re making.” She moved to stand behind him, hands on his shoulders and planting a light kiss on his temple, careful not to jar his movements. “You’re actually producing thread for once. Why?”

“A baby blanket made solely from gold would be beautiful, I’m sure…but perhaps not the warmest or most comfortable blanket.” His eyes never strayed from the cotton that he was releasing slowly from his hand. “Our child…shall live in comfort for all its days. I’ll see to it.”

The rhythm of the wheel faltered before stopping completely, and he set the ball of cotton down before turning to face her, one hand going automatically to her belly as he looked up at her, his expression full of promises that she knew he’d go to any lengths to keep.

“I want that for our baby, Rumple,” she whispered, stroking his hair back from his face. “I do. But what I want most is that this child will grow up knowing it is loved, and it will be, regardless of whether we live in a modern house in Maine, or a castle, or a one-room cottage in the Enchanted Forest. Our child will have what’s most important. I know it.” She bent to kiss him, and he followed it with a kiss to the curve under his hand.

“As usual, you’re wiser than me.” His palms smoothed the fabric over her circumference, which was getting bigger by the day. “But make no mistake, Belle. I will see to it that our child grows in safety and comfort, all the things I could never give Bae when he was growing up. I’m grateful every day that he forgave me for my transgressions, but I plan to do better by this child. And you.”

Lost for words, she bent to kiss him again, feeling a warm affection for him, for all his promises. She loved knowing he was with her in the journey. She’d hate to be going through her pregnancy alone.

Alone…pregnant…she’d forgotten all about the dog from earlier.

“Rumple, where’s my purse? I need to call Ruby.”

“Belle, don’t worry yourself about that dog, it’ll be fine whether they find it or not.”

She ignored him and went to the front of the shop to retrieve her purse from under the counter. She flipped her phone open and saw that she had a text from Ruby.

Found dog. New problem. Come help? Meet at Granny’s.

Belle listened for a moment, hearing the creak of the spinning wheel start again. She grabbed her purse and walked as quietly as she could across the room to the door. Only when she had her hand on the knob did she say anything.

“Rumple, I need to go back to Granny’s!” she called, and quickly opened the door, letting herself out and walking down the street as fast as her pregnancy waddle would allow.

She needn’t have bothered. He was waiting for her outside the diner before she got there, looking amused.

“Really, Belle? Did you think that would work?”

“I just wanted to avoid the argument, that’s all. I was going to come here regardless. We’re here now, so we may as well go inside to see what’s going on.”

He opened the door. “After you.”

They entered the diner to find many of their family and friends gathered around the corner booth, conferring over a map.

“What’s happened?” Belle asked, going over.

Ruby separated herself from the group. “Well, the good news is, we found that stray dog that Archie saw earlier. We didn’t even have to track her. Neal and Henry saw her while they were out having their driving lesson, called me, and we managed to catch her. We had to use the tranquilizer gun, but we caught her.”

“That’s great!” Belle responded. She was flooded with relief that she wouldn’t have to worry about the dog anymore. Maybe pregnancy was making her overly sentimental, but she couldn’t help empathizing with another pregnant mother, human or not. She realized Ruby didn’t look all that happy, and asked, “But what’s the bad news?”

“She had her puppies since Archie first saw her this afternoon. Vet says it looks like the delivery didn’t go well, she needs medical attention, which she’s getting. But she’s in no shape to go back to them…so there’s a litter of puppies out there in the woods somewhere, separated from their mother.”

“Oh no…” She reached for Rumple’s hand, wanting his support. “We have to find them!” She realized why they were all gathered around the map. “You’re going out looking for them now?”

Ruby nodded, and Neal spoke up from the table.

“Vet says we need to find them asap. They won’t survive long without their mother.”

“I want to help,” Belle said immediately.

“No, not under any circumstances,” Rumple said immediately. He’d been quiet until now, but looked very determined to stop her.

“But Rumple–”

“Belle, you were on bedrest just two weeks ago. You can’t go out tromping through the woods in your condition!”

“Actually, Papa,” Neal interjected. “There’s a way she could help that she could stay right here and sit down the entire time. We could use someone to coordinate from here, to mark off the areas on the map where we’ve already searched and overlook the whole operation.”

“I can definitely do that,” Belle said, happy to have found a solution. “I can,” she said to her husband, who still didn’t look convinced. “Rumple…please don’t fight me on this. I want to be useful.”

“Alright, fine. All this fuss for a dog,” he muttered. “I’m going to order dinner, and I want you to eat it before we start this…whatever it is.” He waved an elegant hand at the group gathered in the diner, some studying the map, some gathering supplies.

“Operation Labrador,” Henry said, shouldering his backpack. “We’re calling it Operation Labrador.”

Emma had put Robin, as the Storybrooke resident most familiar with the woods, in charge of planning their search pattern. He spent a moment going over the map with Belle, showing her where they’d found the mother dog and where each group would start looking.

“You’ll be the only one seeing the big picture,” he explained. “It’s really important that as we call in to say an area’s been searched, you mark those off and make sure we’re not missing anything. A few puppies don’t take up much space in a forest that big, and we can’t afford to overlook a single hollow tree stump.”

She nodded, studying the map and just hoping the search party would have success.

“Alright, time to go, everyone!” Snow raised her voice to be heard. “Stay with your assigned groups, be safe, and remember to call in to Belle when an area’s been searched.”

“Hi, ho, boys!” Leroy called out to his brothers. “We got work to do!”

There was a mass movement toward the door as everyone picked up maps and flashlights and headed out toward the woods. Ruby must have called nearly everyone in town. Snow and David, Emma, Neal, and Henry, all the dwarves, Archie with Pongo on a leash, and Regina with Robin, little Roland between them, all filed out.

“Here, Belle.” Rumple was guiding her to sit down in the booth and moving the map aside. “It will take them some time to get to the woods, you can eat in the meantime.”

He pushed a plate in front of her, with chicken parmigiana giving off tantalizing smells and making her realize how hungry she was…again. She’d developed a weird liking for this dish after her Lacey days. Although she preferred not to think about that time in her life too much, she saw no reason to deny herself a delicious meal.

He slid into the booth next to her, and she realized that he hadn’t gotten any food for himself.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” she asked, cutting up the chicken.

“I don’t need much, you know that. I’ll eat later if I get hungry.” She nodded, and he was quiet for a few moments while she focused on her meal. “Belle…can you tell me why this stray dog has affected you so much?”

“What do you mean?” She swallowed and sipped her tea, trying to buy time. “I’d have to be heartless not to be affected. You saw the group that left here, everyone’s worried. I think they’re rather relieved to have a crisis that doesn’t endanger the whole town, and a cause that everyone can agree on.”

“It’s more than that for you, Belle. Please talk to me.” He slid a hand under her hair, rubbing lightly at the back of her neck.

She sighed, setting down her fork but not looking at him as she murmured, “It’s silly.”

“Tell me anyway.”

“She’s an expectant mother, and she was alone.” She rolled her eyes at herself, hurrying to explain. “I know it’s not the same for a dog, but…that could have been me, Rumple. I could have been pregnant alone, I might have had to raise our baby alone. I’ve lost you a half-dozen times already, and I’ve always gotten you back, but…what if I hadn’t? I’d be doing—all this–” she gestured to herself—“without your help and support. I don’t feel ready to be a mother even with your help, how could I have done it alone? How can I be a mother, when I barely remember my childhood with my own mother?”

“What do you mean? I know you remember your mother. You’ve told me plenty about her.”

“From later, yes. But not when I was little.”

“Very few people remember being babies.”

She swatted his arm. “I know that! It’s just…” She hesitated, but finally confessed, “I’ve been dreaming about her. But when I wake up, all I remember is sitting in her lap, and her voice. I think she’s telling me a story, or singing me a song maybe?”

“Well, there you go. There’s at least one thing you remember. You can definitely do that for our baby.”

“But that’s just it…I don’t remember, Rumple. I don’t remember the tales of our land. I don’t remember our songs. They were passed down orally, they don’t exist in the books of this world.”

“I’m sure we can find a way to fix that.”

“How? Do you remember any of the traditional children’s songs and folk tales from our land?”

“I’m sure I can recall a few,” he answered, sounding amused, and she realized why.

“So how many of them are about you?”

“Many of them, in one guise or another. Greatly exaggerated from being passed down through the generations and embellished each time.”

“Hmm…just think, I sat on my mother’s lap and listened to her tales of the Dark One, and now I’m married to him.” She resettled herself against him, feeling more secure now. “Not sure I want to tell those stories to our baby…they might grow up afraid of their papa.”

“Never. They’ll know the lengths to which I’ll go to protect them.”

Belle smiled to herself, closing her eyes and leaning her head against Rumple’s arm, surrendering her worries to him for the moment. It would be okay. Their child would grow up healthy, and loved, and protected, and they would be happier than ever.

Her phone vibrated on the table, startling her from her reverie. She grabbed it, and read a text from Ruby.

At woods. Starting search.

“I hope they find them,” Belle sighed, pulling the map over and discouraged at how much territory there was to cover.

“I might be able to help,” Rumple said, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“Really? How? And why didn’t you say so before?”

“I didn’t have the ingredient I needed before. Now, I don’t want you to get your hopes up. I’ve never tried it with a non-human. I don’t know if it will work with a dog, but I’ll try. Stay here, I need to get something.”

He left her sitting in her booth, and she ate a few more bites of her now-cold dinner, watching her phone and waiting. Granny came by to refill her tea and Belle surrendered her plate. She was mostly done anyway, and she wanted room to spread the map out.

It didn’t take long before he came back, with a small vial of something in his hand.

“Is that…blood?” She peered at it, hoping it was something else. “Rumple, whose blood do you have?”

“The dog’s, of course. I asked the vet to draw it.” He slid back into the booth and flattened the map out on the table, held the vial up and waved his hand over it. The dark liquid glowed bright red for a moment, then blue, before settling on a dark purple. “Here goes,” he muttered, and uncapped it to tip a couple drops onto the map.

Belle leaned forward, watching. For a moment, nothing happened. Then Rumple waved his hand over the map, and the drops started to move, elongating themselves into a line that moved from where he’d dripped them and leading to a spot about three inches away on the map.

“Is that it? Is that where her puppies are?” Belle asked, nearly yelling in her excitement.

“If the spell worked, then yes.”

“That’s…” She consulted the list she’d scribbled down while Robin was explaining the search grid to her. “That’s Neal’s and Emma’s search area.” She dialed Neal quickly, putting him on speaker.

“Hey, Belle. Nothing yet. It’s slow going when we have to search every nook and cranny.”

“That’s why I’m calling. I think we can help. Rumple did some magic on the map, and we know they’re in your search area.”

“If it worked,” Rumple cautioned again, but she ignored him. She had faith. In her experience, if magic spells didn’t work, then they did nothing. The blood had moved on the map; therefore, it had worked.

“That’s great!” It was Henry’s voice, and Belle realized that Neal must have her on speaker as well. “But uh, where exactly?”

“Umm…” She didn’t know how to answer that question. She’d been so excited to narrow the search grid, that it hadn’t occurred to her that she had no way to tell the searchers exactly where to go. She leaned forward to study the map again. The drop of blood had stopped close to the line, drawn in pencil, that marked the division between two search areas. She checked to see who was in that quadrant, and answered, “Henry, your mom—Regina I mean—and Robin were searching the area next to you. Do you know which direction they are?”

“I do,” Neal answered after a moment. “Remind me to teach you some wilderness smarts, kid.” That was obviously directed at Henry.

“So the spell says that the puppies are located right on the boundary between your two search areas. Head in that direction, I’ll call Regina and Robin and have them meet you there. I’ll see if I can narrow it down for you more.”

She called Regina and told her where to go, then sent out a group text to everyone to abandon their assigned search areas and converge at the same place. Setting down her phone, she pulled the map to her and scrutinized the spot where the blood had pointed. Referencing the legend, she was able to pinpoint a couple of landmarks around the puppies’ location. She called Neal back.

“So it looks on the map like you have a small stream just northwest of you, and then there’s a minor increase in elevation just to the southeast, so look for a small hill. The puppies are somewhere in between those two landmarks, and close to the division between the two search areas. That’s the best I can do to narrow it down for you from here.”

“Got it. Everyone else is arriving now, so we’ll get looking.”

She dropped the phone and leaned back into Rumple’s waiting arm, heaving a sigh. Nothing to do now but wait. Seemed like she’d been doing a lot of that lately. She rested her hands on her belly and tried to relax. The baby apparently had other ideas, and decided now would be an excellent time to practice its gymnastics routine from inside her womb.

“Rumple, calm your baby down, please.” They’d found that the sound of its father’s voice would often calm the baby when nothing else would, which delighted Belle for how happy it made Rumple. She knew that he wished he could do more to help with her pregnancy, but the human reproductive process being what it was, she was doing the heavy lifting. But each time he was able to stop the baby from kicking or rolling inside her, simply by talking to it, she could tell he felt more connected to their little one.

With an indulgent smile, he leaned over, placing his own hand beneath hers and stroking gently before he spoke to her stomach.

“Listen up, darling. It’s storytime. Are you paying attention?” He paused, and the rolling movement inside her stopped on cue. “Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess living in a kingdom that was being threatened by nasty ogres. The princess wanted to help her kingdom, so she called upon a powerful magician known as the Dark One to save them.”

Belle was laughing to herself, though her eyes were closed as she listened to his voice. “That’s the story you’re going to tell? How we met is not exactly a relaxing bedtime story for the young and impressionable.”

“But our child will see where we are now, and know that anything is possible.”

“Hmm.” She didn’t bother commenting further. It was easier to just close her eyes and melt into Rumple’s arm behind her, while his other hand continued stroking her belly and he resumed his story.

“One day, the princess decided that the Dark One’s castle was too, well…dark and she wanted to open the curtains. But when she climbed a ladder to reach them, she fell, and–”

Belle’s phone vibrated on the table, startling her from the peaceful place she’d been drifting, and she jumped for it. It was a text, this time from Henry.

Found them. Looks like Pongo has some stuff to answer for.

He’d added a laughing emoticon to the message, which Belle didn’t understand. She texted back, What?

On way back. You’ll see.

“Rumple, come on, we have to go over to the animal shelter. They’re bringing the puppies now.” She pushed at him to get out of the booth, but he didn’t budge.

“Belle….” He was smirking at her. “We can’t leave now. Our baby is waiting for the rest of the story.”

“What?”

“Well, the last thing I said was that you fell from a tall ladder. I’m sure the poor thing’s just dying to know if the princess survived the fall.”

“You can finish the story at bedtime tonight!” she exclaimed, but he wouldn’t be swayed.

He leaned down to her stomach again. “When the princess fell, the Dark One caught her in his arms, and–though he wouldn’t admit it till much, much later–that was the moment that he fell in love with her.” He straightened up, looking into her eyes as he finished softly, “And they lived happily ever after.”

“Yes, we are,” she smiled, and kissed him. Headlights passed by the diner and through the window she saw David’s pickup truck. “They’re back!”

She shoved at him again and this time he slid out of the booth, offering a hand to help her up. He insisted on keeping hold of her–one hand holding hers, the other around her back–as they crossed the street to the animal shelter and David’s pickup parked out front. He was helping Snow down from the back, as both her hands were full with balls of fur. Emma got out of the cab and held the door for Henry, who held two more puppies. David reached to help Ruby down next, but instead she thrust the puppies she held at him.

“Take them, my gods! They’ve been trying to nurse on me!” She crossed her arms over her breasts protectively.

Belle couldn’t help laughing, though she knew she shouldn’t. Ruby seemed truly traumatized. She was now looking down the front of her blouse, as though checking for injury.

“They didn’t try that with me!” Snow told her, also laughing.

“Well, you’re not part canine, are you?”

“Let’s get these puppies back to their mother, shall we?” Emma suggested, trying to get them back on track though she was smothering a grin herself.

The group of them piled into the animal shelter, and in the better lighting Belle peeked over Snow’s shoulder and got her first good look at the puppies. They were mostly black, but around the ears and face small white spots showed through. Their eyes were closed and their little mouths opened and closed. She could barely hear faint mewing sounds coming from them.

The vet entered from the back room where Belle knew the kennels to be, and held his hands out to Henry, who stood closest to him. 

“I’d better take the pups back myself. The mother is still a bit woozy from the medication I gave her, and I’m trying to keep her as calm as possible. Having all of you rush back there would be a stress that she doesn’t need.”

Belle was disappointed that she wouldn’t be able to see the mother, but understood the vet’s logic. He was caring for his patient, and she came first. The vet took the puppies Henry held, and disappeared back through the door, which almost caught on his white lab coat.

The door behind them opened and Regina came in, followed by Robin with little Roland behind him. The little entryway was getting crowded.

“Are the babies back with their mommy?” Roland asked, and Belle turned to look at him. She couldn’t hold back a gasp at his appearance.

The dimpled face was marked with scratches, most of them shallow and not very long, but one scratch stood out in a long line of red across his left cheek, crossing his dimple and continuing below his chin. He had leaves tangled in his hair and his hands–as well as his pants from knees downward–were caked with mud.

“What the devil happened to you?” Rumple asked, before she could form a coherent sentence.

“They didn’t tell you already?” Regina asked, inclining her head to the rest of the group.

“We thought we’d let the hero of the hour tell his own story,” Neal answered. From the way everyone else nodded and smiled, it was quite the tale.

“Is that you, Roland?” Belle asked, leaning down to speak to him. “Did you save the puppies?”

“Uh-huh!” He nodded his head so vigorously that leaves started to fall.

“Tell them about it,” Robin urged.

“Everyone was looking everywhere!” the little boy exclaimed, throwing his arms out wide. “On the ground, and behind trees, and under bushes, and even up in the sky!”

“The sky, really? Did you think the puppies were in the sky?” Belle asked.

“Papa said we had to look everywhere,” Roland explained.

“Of course. So who finally found them, and where?”

“Pongo! Their daddy found them because that’s what daddies do!”

“Pongo?” Belle was confused for a moment, then realized. “The spots!” She turned to look up at Henry. “That’s what you meant when you said Pongo had something to answer for?”

“Yep,” Henry grinned. “He’s the only Dalmatian in town…who else could be the father?”

Belle had to laugh at that, but turned back at a tap on her shoulder.

“I didn’t finish telling you,” Roland informed her.

“Right. You were going to tell me how you are the hero.”

“So Pongo found the puppies by sniffing them out under a bush. And when he barked, we knew he found sump’in and we all had to be really quiet and then we could hear the puppies crying.” Roland scrunched up his face and made high pitched whining noises. “They sounded so sad ‘cause they didn’t have their mommy,” he finished.

“But you brought them back,” Belle reminded him.

“Uh-huh! But first, we had to get them out of the bush, and they were all the way under there, way deep under the bush, and there was only a little tiny tunnel through the briars and thorns to get to them.”

“Ahh,” Belle said, beginning to see where his story was going. “So only someone very small could fit into that tunnel. Who among the search party was that small?” She tapped her chin, pretending to think about it.

“Me!” Roland yelled, jumping once for emphasis. Half-dry mud fell from his pants and onto the floor with the force of his bounce. “I crawled in the tunnel, and I got the puppies out one by one! And I got scratched lots of times, but I told Papa it didn’t hurt ‘cause the puppies needed t’be rescueded!”

“That’s right, they did. And you rescued them.” Robin picked his son up, heedless of the filth, and hugged him. “My brave boy. You’re earning your spot in the Merry Men.”

Belle watched the father and son with a smile from where she still knelt, then grabbed Rumple’s hand to pull herself up. The vet came out again and took the two puppies held by Snow, and she realized that they were the last…he must have retrieved the ones David held while she was captivated by Roland’s story.

“And now, how about we take you home to get cleaned up, and I can heal those scratches for you, hmm?” Regina asked Roland.

“No! I like the scratches! They’re my battle scars, right, Papa?” He appealed to his father for help.

He hesitated, glancing between Regina and his son. “Why don’t we get you in the bath, and we can discuss the rest after you’re clean?” With a nod to the group, he pushed the door open and headed out, still carrying Roland.

“But Papa…” The protest was cut off when the door closed.

“So…Operation Labrador was a success!” Henry declared, looking pleased with himself.

“That one was a lot simpler than most of your operations, kid.” Emma pulled him in for a one-armed hug.

“Maybe you should have called it Operation Dalmador,” Belle suggested. They all gave her confused looks, so she explained, “That’s what the breed is called, when you cross a Labrador and a Dalmatian…a Dalmador. There’s a book on dog breeds in the library, Henry. Stop by and pick it up tomorrow if you’re interested.”

“I think I will. I should start reading about the breed since I’m going to get one,” he grinned at his parents.

“Oh no, not a chance, young man.” Neal shook his head.

“C’mon, they’re all gonna need homes.”

“You know what, I think Robin had a good idea. Let’s go home, get cleaned up, and talk about it later.” Emma pushed her son toward the door, followed by Snow and David. Neal was the last to follow them out, pausing to clap his dad on the shoulder and whisper a thanks for his help in finding the puppies.

“Well, I doubt I’d have gotten much sleep tonight if they were still out there,” Rumple admitted, looking at his wife with exasperated fondness.

Neal chuckled. “I figured she had something to do with it. Goodnight, Papa.”

“Goodnight, Bae.”

Belle reached down for his hand, squeezing gently. Every time she saw Rumple and Bae together, it warmed her heart. Rumple had fought so hard to get back to his son, to find him and repair their relationship, and now that they finally had a good relationship, neither of them took it for granted.

“Ready to go home?” he asked her. “I know you must be tired. You don’t usually stay awake this long, nowadays.”

She hesitated, looking at the door that the vet had gone through. “Do you think we could take a quick peek? I just want to see for myself that they’re okay.”

He shook his head but humored her, opening the door for her so they could walk quietly into the kennel area. The vet was nowhere to be seen, but in the nearest kennel, on the edge of the light that had been left on at the end of the hall, a black Labrador lay on her side with all six puppies gathered at her teats, busily nursing.

The mother’s ribs were showing, and Belle ached at how skinny she was…but was comforted at the bowls full of food and water in the kennel with her. She was being taken care of now, she’d get healthy, and be able to take care of her babies. Belle smiled at the sight of one little tail wagging back and forth, its owner clearly enjoying his meal.

She couldn’t wait to nurse her own baby, to hold him or her and rock them, and tell them stories as they fell asleep in her arms. That thought made her remember their conversation from earlier.

“Will you tell me one of the stories tonight? From our land? I want to start learning them again, so I’m ready when our baby arrives.” She stifled a yawn with her hand.

“I’ll tell you,” he agreed easily. “Though I doubt you’ll stay awake past ‘once upon a time…’” He guided her back out into the lobby and opened the outer door for her.

She swatted him, but didn’t deny that she’d probably fall asleep as soon as they got home. “If I fall asleep…” She paused to yawn again. “You can finish it tomorrow.”

“Are you sure you need me to tell you the old stories from the Enchanted Forest, Belle?” he asked, as they crossed the street to reach his car, parked behind the pawn shop.

“I want our baby to know them,” she explained, wondering why he might object. “Why? Do you not think they should?”

“I think,” he said, opening the car door for her, “that we’ve made a lot of new stories since coming to this world. We made a new one just today. And our baby should learn those. And one day, make his or her own stories.”

She smiled as she arranged herself on the seat, reaching for her seatbelt. “Maybe I should ask Henry to write about today, and illustrate it. We can start a new book of stories, all about our family’s heroic adventures. Starting with Operation Dalmador.”

“Well, at least that one has a happy ending.”

He reached in to help with her belt, reaching around her swollen stomach to make sure it clicked into locked position. She stopped him as he eased back out, cupping his face in her hands to kiss him. “Our story has a happy ending too,” she murmured, and kissed him again before letting go. “Take us home, Rumple. It’s time to put our baby to bed.”

He closed her door and checked the back door of the pawn shop before getting in on his side, pulling out onto Main Street and heading home. The lights in the lobby of the pet shelter turned off as they drove past. Belle reached for Rumple’s hand across the seat and closed her eyes, content to rest till they got home. She knew if she fell asleep on the way there, she’d wake up in her own bed, safe and warm.


End file.
